Meaning & use
speculatively
Last updated
Meanings
adverb
In a way that is based on a guess or idea rather than on certain knowledge.
Grammar: Usually comes after the verb it describes: he spoke speculatively.
Patterns
- verb + speculatively
- speculatively + verb
She wondered speculatively whether the meeting had been moved on purpose.
Reporters speculated speculatively about the reason for his sudden resignation.
He looked at the figures speculatively, trying to guess what they meant.
adverbbusinessfinance
In a way that involves buying or investing in the hope of later profit, with real risk of loss.
Grammar: Common in business and property contexts; often with build, buy, or invest.
Patterns
- build speculatively
- buy something speculatively
- invest speculatively
The company built the offices speculatively, with no tenants signed up.
They bought the land speculatively, betting that a new road would raise its value.
Investing speculatively can bring big rewards, but you may lose everything.
adverbformal
In a way that shows deep thought about something difficult or abstract.
Grammar: Often used of philosophy or theory; usually before the adjective or after the verb.
Patterns
- think speculatively
- speculatively + adjective
The essay treats the question speculatively rather than practically.
She wrote speculatively about what a fairer society might look like.
Common combinations
- speak speculatively
- I can only speak speculatively about what will happen next year.
- buy speculatively
- Some buyers purchase speculatively, hoping prices will rise.
- act speculatively
- The board acted speculatively and lost a great deal of money.
- speculatively built housing
- Speculatively built housing often stands empty for months.
- speculatively priced
- The shares were speculatively priced and soon fell.
Synonyms and how they differ
- hypothetically
- Focuses on an imagined situation rather than a guess about real events; use it for 'what if' talk.
- tentatively
- Suggests a lack of confidence or a first attempt, not necessarily a guess about facts.
- theoretically
- Points to theory rather than practice, while speculatively points to guesswork or risk.
Opposites
Word family
- speculate verb
- to guess about something without firm evidence
- speculation noun
- guessing, or risky buying in the hope of profit
- speculative adjective
- based on guesswork rather than certain knowledge
- speculator noun
- a person who invests riskily hoping for a quick profit
Commonly confused: speculatively or specially? speculatively or spectacularly?
speculatively vs specially
Specially means 'for a particular purpose' (specially made for her), while speculatively means 'as a guess' — the two sound similar but are unrelated.
speculatively vs spectacularly
Spectacularly means 'in a very impressive way'; speculatively is about guessing or risk, so they are not interchangeable.
Practice
The developer built the apartments ______, hoping buyers would appear later.
Choose one answer.
'Speculatively' fits because the building was done on a risky guess about future demand. 'Specially' means for a particular purpose, 'spectacularly' means impressively, and 'specifically' means precisely, so none of them carries the idea of a gamble.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “speculatively”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.